Silverware chance this early in the season? Why, thank you. Chelsea. SuperCup.

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Re: Silverware chance this early in the season? Why, thank you. Chelsea. SuperCup.

Originally Posted by RyeRed

This win felt like a loss. Crap midfield, dodgy defense, had to labor mightily over 120 minutes and PK's in a meaningless game. Hope we can bounce back for the weekend which counts, of course. Adrian impressed.

I understand where you’re coming from, but I disagree. Yes, we took the long road and the hard one to boot, but in a game that was never going to affect our PL and CL chances. But in a highly competitive game. Which gave Klopp and the boys in the backroom a chance to see these faults and failings. Much like the Community Shield, we were better in the second half, having made the adjustments. But I do think the high line is going to be a permanent thing.

Re: Silverware chance this early in the season? Why, thank you. Chelsea. SuperCup.

I said on another thread and I think it bears repeating, the defensive system appears to have been changed. The line is higher now than last season, I think. A lot higher. Which leaves us open to dinked through balls and balls over the top with spin.

I’m reminded of the quote, “if the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts”. We didn’t sign anyone over the summer, so Klopp decided to keep the players he had and improve the team not by signing new players, but by changing the system. And, to me, the most obvious change has been the high defensive line. Which City and Chelsea have handled well enough to give us trouble.

Re: Silverware chance this early in the season? Why, thank you. Chelsea. SuperCup.

Originally Posted by Samarkand

I said on another thread and I think it bears repeating, the defensive system appears to have been changed. The line is higher now than last season, I think. A lot higher. Which leaves us open to dinked through balls and balls over the top with spin.

I’m reminded of the quote, “if the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts”. We didn’t sign anyone over the summer, so Klopp decided to keep the players he had and improve the team not by signing new players, but by changing the system. And, to me, the most obvious change has been the high defensive line. Which City and Chelsea have handled well enough to give us trouble.

Let’s see what the next few games bring, in defense anyway.

Simon Hughes in The Athletic seems to think it's an intentional response to VAR.

In the opening Premier League game of the season at home to Norwich and in the UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea, Liverpool’s defence adopted an unfamiliarly high line. There seems to be two reasons for this.

Klopp knows technology is having more of a say in outcomes, believing VAR favours a well-organised defence over an over-eager attacker or one without pace because, quite simply, millimetres register on camera in a way they might not with a human.

By asking his own defence, one marshalled by Virgil van Dijk, to be on high alert from day one of a new season also refocuses his players in the months after they became European champions. Is he challenging them to think again about what they are doing at a moment in their careers when they might be feeling quite good about themselves, and so potentially losing some focus? That was Pep Guardiola’s fear at Manchester City after winning the title in 2017-18, explaining why he introduced a stricter fining policy. Maybe Klopp is being subtler in his solutions.

Re: Silverware chance this early in the season? Why, thank you. Chelsea. SuperCup.

Not sure whether it was the heat, the lack of pre-season + over-exertion or the bedding in of a new system, but our defense & midfield were very poor. Mostly they were sloppy. Journalists picked on Matip (deservingly), but I thought our control and distribution were poor all around (except for Virgil's Hollywood passes over the top). The tempo was also not quite to the full standard yet, in terms of our passing and movement.

All of that suggests more of a early-season bedding-in problem to me, more than anything else, but we shall see.

Too much to ask Spurs to take points off City at the Etihad? Probably.

Re: Silverware chance this early in the season? Why, thank you. Chelsea. SuperCup.

Saw this quoted in another forum today. Certainly goes a long way to explaining the high line. Confirms what I suspected that just because he didn’t sign a big name(s), doesn’t mean Klopp went to sleep over the summer.

If he’s right, that VAR is going to pick up the microscopic offsides, why wouldn’t you play a high line? Part of this equation included a keeper comfortable with the ball at his feet which might cause a momentary rethink.

Re: Silverware chance this early in the season? Why, thank you. Chelsea. SuperCup.

Originally Posted by Samarkand

I understand where you’re coming from, but I disagree. Yes, we took the long road and the hard one to boot, but in a game that was never going to affect our PL and CL chances. But in a highly competitive game. Which gave Klopp and the boys in the backroom a chance to see these faults and failings. Much like the Community Shield, we were better in the second half, having made the adjustments. But I do think the high line is going to be a permanent thing.

The tactical change definitely had an effect, especially in the first half however the general level of energy and play was well below our recent standard in the MF and back line. Early days, hope we can implement the new system without too many slips.

"A football team is like a piano. You need eight men to carry it and three who can play the damn thing."
- Bill Shankly